ShopSmart Reveals the Most Common Tricky Ad Claims–and How to Avoid Them

Claim: This product has a lifetime warranty.Translation: As soon as the product is no longer available or we stop carrying it, your “lifetime” is over.Warning: Generally, there’s no legal definition of what “lifetime” means in warranty-speak. So read the fine print for any gotchas before you buy.

Claim: Buy one of our new cars and we’ll pay off your old car loan.Translation: We’ll combine the amount you still owe on your old car with a loan for the new one. And we’ll make the term so long that you’ll be paying it off for the rest of your life, during which you’ll mostly be broke.Warning: Don’t get a new car until you’ve finished paying for the old one, especially if you owe more than its trade-in value. And avoid car loans with terms longer than 48 months.

Claim: Get our credit card and receive a 5 percent rebate on gas.Translation: Our 5 percent rebate applies to categories that change every three months. And if you neglect to sign up, tough luck.Warning: Increasingly, credit cards are reserving big rebates for categories that change every quarter, and you have to re-enroll each time. Some cards pay higher rewards on fixed categories and don’t make you jump through hoops, such as the Pentagon Cash Rewards card. It automatically pays 5 percent back on gas with no limits on rewards. (To get that card you must be a government employee or donate to a military charity).

Claim: We’ll help you get rid of your debt.Translation: After we get our fee from you, the only debt we’ll eliminate is our own.Warning: When you owe money that you can’t pay, your first move should be to try to work something out with the creditor (even the IRS), such as a payment plan. You should also develop a plan to get your spending under control. A nonprofit credit counselor can help, but don’t assume that it’s legit just because it’s not for profit. A good first step is to check a program’s reputation at BBB.org and search the program’s name and “complaints” online.